Passing the Torch that Lights the Smoker

Ribs restaurant in Cedar Crest has been feeding barbecue to hungry East Mountaineers since 1998. 

Asa Bortz-Johnson has managed Ribs since 2016 and says that it’s time for him to step down and let new leadership take the reins. He says that Ribs’ current management expects to fully transition out of the business in the first few months of 2025.

Bortz-Johnson says part of the reason for the transition is that things haven’t been the same since the death of the Gunter brothers, who were essential to keeping the place running as it should.

Chad and Brad Gunter, who were part of the group that owned Ribs, died in November 2023 when a semi truck drove through a Moriarty blacksmith shop while they were working inside. Ribs’ current management said they have “painfully realized” that in the Gunters’ absence, they cannot continue to operate the restaurant to the high standards that the brothers set. Current management says they feel they can no longer give their crew or the community what it deserves, so they decided to pass the torch to new managers Sonya Chavez and Nic Ploskonka.

“We understand how special Ribs is to so many and cannot wait to step in and pursue our dream,” Chavez said. “Ribs is a well-oiled machine and we have no intention of reinventing said machine.”

Bortz-Johnson said that the loss of Chad and Brad took a lot out of everyone employed at the restaurant emotionally and physically, and being in business without them has become less pleasant.

“Even the mundane, annoying tasks were fun, and it’s just not fun anymore without them around,” Bortz-Johnson said. “It made the most sense to find somebody that had the passion, had the experience and had the skills to come in here and keep the legacy going.”

Bortz-Johnson said he is confident that the new managers will give the community the quality food and service that has kept the restaurant in business for decades. 

“ They’re gonna kill it,” he said. “Sonya’s been here for 16-plus years. She knows the entire community. They’re both grown up locals. They understand the world of a small community and that this place is much more than a restaurant.”

Chavez said she and Ploskonka are excited and honored to be able to continue the Gunters’ legacy, a legacy they have watched and been a part of for many years. 

“As we continue to evolve into this new reality, we will constantly be reminded of Chad and Brad’s forever presence guiding us, kicking our butts into gear, laughing with us, trusting us,” Chavez said.